A Pirate's Greed
by KickFlip
Summary: Abyss the Squid ruminates on personal philosophy and the concept of avarice.


A Pirate's Greed

Abyss was a greedy greedy squid, she knew it, her crew knew it, heck everyone who knew her well enough knew it. She really loved the finer things in life: like jewels, gold, and just plain old cold hard cash. She loved the way it all seemed to just have this glow about them, like they shined brighter then the very sun. They were what she wanted, and she would get as much as she was able to.

It was often said that greed was a path to ruin and that it would lead to nothing good. Abyss disagreed with that; her greed had lead to a lot of good, for her. Okay maybe that was just splitting hairs but what did people expect, she was a pirate not a philosopher! Besides who could argue with her when her sword was at their throat anyway?

Abyss had learned from an early age that there were only two things in life you really needed: a lot of money and the ability to get it and keep your hold it. Her mother had taught her that the day she sold out her father for thirty gold pieces, it was how she justified herself to her crying little daughter. Abyss had been upset at the time, but now she understood, she understood very well indeed. Anyone who was foolish enough to put that degree of trust in someone else deserved his or her inevitable fate.

So Abyss always made sure not to trust, not to depend on anyone, to be self-reliant, and she likes to think she has been successful at that. Some might call her a hypocrite about that, citing her "agreement" with Doctor Eggman as evidence, but she would disagree. Her working for Eggman was a mere alliance of convenience, one she would betray if a better offer came her way, the Doctor knew and excepted that as a cost of doing business. Besides she was a pirate anyway what were people expecting from her, honor?

If pressed Abyss might say she respected Doctor Eggman, not liked, respected. He was intelligent, cunning, ruthless, and very ambitious. Abyss was ambitious herself but no one could really compare with Eggman when it came to ambition, he won in that race. But he was still her boss, and a respectable one at that, so she did not often speak ill of the man, speak ill of one of the few people whose greed could match her own.

It had come back to greed again, her greed, it always seemed to. She had heard the word "greedy" thrown at her as both an insult and a jest by multiple different people; it seemed to be a lot of people's favorite word to use to describe her. Well, she didn't care what they thought, what anyone thought, she was Abyss: feared pirate of the Southern Oceans, what did she care? Money was good; money would not insult you or betray you, and money was something you could always count on in the end.

People who denounced her as greedy never really got it. Greed, for lack of a better term, is good, greed is right, greed works, and everyone should understand that. So let them call her greedy, she was more feared then them and richer then them, what did she even care? Sure she stole and killed quite a bit, but no ones perfect, right? Alive or dead, rich or poor, strong or weak, powerful or powerless, these are what mattered, and they were concrete. Morality, Abyss would laugh at that, what good was morality when you had a sword running through you?

No, Abyss had no delusions about morality; it was useless in the grand scheme of things, something that weaklings used to justify why they were weak. Abyss had no use for it, no use for any of it; give her gold any day over morality. Besides morality was not shiny nor did it have a good exchange rate, so why bother with it? Money made the world go around after all, who would deny that? So give her money over morals, she was a pirate what did they expect?

Abyss took a minute to look around her personal treasure room. It was filled to the brim with gold and jewels and cold hard cash, just the way she liked it. But it was not enough, oh no not by a long shot. Abyss wanted more, she NEEDED more, and she would get more, no matter WHO stood in her way! What she could not get through bargaining or cleverness she would take by force, she was a pirate after all and that is what pirates ultimately did.

Abyss then strode into her personal treasure room and lay down on a pile of gold coins. It was not especially comfortable by the standards of personal relaxation, but Abyss enjoyed it all the same. It made her feel powerful, rich, and successful, which of course she was but reminders were nice. She lay there for a few minutes, just her, her thoughts, and her valuables. She picked-up a coin and looked at it.

It was valuable of course, everything in her personal treasure room was, but there was something special about it. The coin was not special in-and-of itself, more what it represented was what was special. It was its simplicity, the simplicity of currency, of power, and of greed. This little coin represented Abyss's personal philosophy in a way: simple and down-to-earth. She had no need for morality, for the transcendental, or for sappy feelings, this is what she needed. What she needed was money to fuel her greed and ambition, and that is what this coin represented, to her at least.

Abyss then got up off the treasure pile, with the coin still in her hand. She should go back to work; she had spent enough time lollygagging. She took one last look at the coin before tossing it back into the pile. She then took one last look at her personal treasure room itself before leaving. "Mine" she said as she closed the door "All mine".


End file.
